Middle East

Iran Says Has 'Right to Respond' After Kuwait Arrests Four Citizens

This is Beirut 13/05 21:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, calling for their release. "In a clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This ...

Netanyahu Held 'Secret' Meeting in UAE with President: PM Office

This is Beirut 13/05 21:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel UAE Gulf USA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a "secret" meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. "During Operation 'Lion's Roar,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al ...

U.S. Expands Pressure on Iran as Warplanes Patrol Over Hormuz

This is Beirut 13/05 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran USA Hormuz CENTCOM F35 Gulf Israel

The United States military announced Wednesday that it has intensified enforcement of its naval blockade on Iran, saying American forces have redirected dozens of commercial vessels and continue military patrols near the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said 67 commercial ships attempting to enter or leave ...

UNIFIL Reports Escalating Drone Activity Near Its Positions in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 13/05 16:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon UN Security Council United Nations Hezbollah

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has expressed growing concern over intensified military activity involving both Hezbollah-linked elements and the Israeli military near its positions in southern Lebanon, warning that recent drone incidents have placed peacekeepers at direct risk. In a statement issued on Wednesday, UNIFIL said ...

Iran Releases Prize-Winning Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh

This is Beirut 13/05 16:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iranian authorities on Wednesday released on bail the prize-winning rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh following her latest arrest last month, her daughter said. Sotoudeh was arrested at her home on April 1 as part of what activists say is a crackdown on civil society during Iran's war with Israel and the United States. "Mum was temporarily released ...

Reports Point to Expanding Israeli-UAE Security Coordination During Iran Conflict

This is Beirut 13/05 15:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Tehran United Arab Emirates Iron Dome Iran

Cooperation between Israel and the United Arab Emirates reportedly deepened during the recent conflict involving Iran, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg detailing high-level intelligence coordination and joint security measures between the two countries. According to The Wall Street Journal, David Barnea, the head of ...

Israel Intensifies Strikes in Lebanon on Eve of Washington Talks

This is Beirut 13/05 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Washington

Israeli forces escalated their military operations in southern Lebanon on the eve of anticipated diplomatic discussions in Washington, striking dozens of targets linked to Hezbollah, according to the Israeli military. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that more than 40 infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah were targeted over the ...

South Korea Reviews Phased Support for Strait of Hormuz Security

This is Beirut 13/05 10:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Washington

South Korea is considering a phased contribution to international efforts aimed at ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Wednesday, signaling support measures that would stop short of direct military involvement. Speaking at a press conference with South Korean reporters in Washington, Ahn said ...

U.S. Authorities Uncover Migrant Smuggling Network Tied to IRGC-Linked Individual

This is Beirut 13/05 09:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

New York Turkey United States Washington

An Iranian national living in New York pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a migrant smuggling operation that brought people into the U.S., including at least one person tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), federal prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Sharon Gohari, a naturalized American citizen ...

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Spying for Israel

This is Beirut 13/05 09:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel United States US Supreme Court

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man found guilty of selling information to Israeli intelligence, the judiciary said, the latest in a war-related wave of executions. Since the start of the conflict with Israel and the United States in February, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related ...

Iran Says U.S. Must Accept its Peace Plan or Face 'Failure'

This is Beirut 13/05 02:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah

Iran's chief negotiator said Tuesday that Washington must accept Tehran's latest peace plan or face failure, after U.S. President Donald Trump warned the truce in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse. The war, which erupted more than two months ago with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread throughout the Middle East and ...

UAE Blacklists 21 Individuals and 5 Lebanon-Based Entities, Including Al-Qard Al-Hassan

This is Beirut 12/05 22:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has expanded its domestic terrorism sanctions list, designating 21 individuals and five Lebanon-based entities over alleged links to Hezbollah, according to a cabinet resolution issued this week. The decision, under Cabinet Resolution No. 63 of 2026, is part of what the UAE described as efforts to strengthen regional and ...